EURO 2008 INFO

Maniche, Midfielder of Inter Milan, was excluded by Luiz Felipe Scolari is selected for the Euro Cup this year, the largest absence in the Portuguese staff announced on Monday.

Maniche, whose real name is Nuno Ricardo Oliveira Ribeiro, had 47 appearances with his selection and played a leading role for which Portugal is casting the final of the Euro 2004 semifinals and the 2006 World Cup.

But Maniche, 30 years, has remained in banking Inter since he returned from Spain four months ago.

Scolari summoned Jorge Ribeiro from Boavista in the stadium to occupy the place of Maniche, who also has militated in the ranks of athletics Madrid and Porto. Ribeiro, 26, has only eight appearances with the selection but Scolari has continually complained about the lack of options for the position.

The coach of Brazil also had few options for the lead. Selected to Nuno Gomes of Benfica, which has had only one entry in the league over the past five months, as well as Helder Postiga of Greek Panathinaikos, which has 10 championships and played for Portugal last nine months ago. Hugo Almeida of Werder Bremen is the third scorer of the selection, also has 10 national team calls, the latest ago
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nine months.

The selection will focus on May 19 for a 13 day training in Viseu, in northwestern Portugal, which will have a friendly match with Georgia 12 days later. The selection Portuguese travel to Switzerland the next day.

Portugal will face Turkey, the Czech Republic and Switzerland in the first round.

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Alina:

Goalkeepers: Ricardo Pereira (Real Betis, Spain), Quim Silva (Benfica), Rui Patricio (Sporting Lisbon).

Defenders: José Bosingwa (Chelsea, England), Miguel Monteiro (Valencia, Spain), Paulo Ferreira (Chelsea), Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea), Fernando Meira (Stuttgart, Germany), Bruno Alves (Porto), Pepe (Real Madrid, Spain ), Jorge Ribeiro (Boavista).

Midfielders: Raul Meireles (FC Porto), Miguel Veloso (Sporting Lisbon), Joao Moutinho (Sporting Lisbon), Armando Petit (Benfica), Deco (Barcelona, Spain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United, England), Simao Sabrosa (athletics Madrid , Spain), Ricardo Quaresma (Porto), Nani (Manchester United).

Strikers: Nuno Gomes (Benfica), Hugo Almeida (Werder Bremen, Germany), Helder Postiga (Panathinaikos, Greece).